Red Algae?

[lmcgrew79]

Can anyone tell me what this red stuff on my rocks are? Is it good, bad?

 

[LtPiper]

Looks to me to be coraline algea.... if it's that good.

 

[fishmon]

Yea the algae looks fine but you better take care of that Aiptasia growing before it turns into 20!!

 

[LtPiper]

Yeah good luck on the Aiptasia. I'm battling it in both of my tanks and it's a B**ch to get rid of.

 

[lmcgrew79]

Ive tryed to get rid of them, peppermint shrimp, berghia, cut them out. No luck

 

[igotsalt]

The peppermint shrimp USUALLY do a good job if you have several shrimp. The shrimp will eat and pick at the apitasia and get them under control if there is enough shrimp...afterall, he is a skinny little guy....how much can we expect him to eat! The reproduction rate of the apitasia is pretty quick...if you have enough shrimp it will slow down the reproduction and eventually the shrimp will get them under control. It seems like once the shrimp get a hold of the tank and eat the majority, they start chasing the apitasia onto the side of the glass. When I turn my tank lights on in the morning the apitasia are waiting for me to stick my net in there and pull them out!

I need 4 peppermints for my tank...is there going to be group buy? Aleesa

 

[firefish2020]

LIke I said the trick is finding the real deal and not a "false" peppermint. Find a few real ones and your problem will stop.

 

[1package]

If you do not want to remove the rock, to remove the aiptasia.

If you try to get ahold of it, it will retract. When it retracts into it's hole fill it with epoxy. It may pop back out another hole but there are a limited number of holes.

 

[lmcgrew79]

lol..that is a good idea. i will probalby have solid rocks though

 

[firefish2020]

I agree, thats the only tried and true method that will work 100% so far.

 

[mcox33]

we tried that on Mom's didn't work at all.

 

[LtPiper]

I tried that with my very first outbreak. Didn't work.

 

[1package]

When you say it did not work - how did it not work? Aiptasia goes in a hole, you plug the hole. It sometimes pops out a different hole, you then plug it 2 maybe 3 times at best. I can not see how it can not work every time. What happened?

 

[firefish2020]

Yes how did it not work? Eventually there is no place for it to escape and coraline covers over the putty trapping the animal(s).

 

[LtPiper]

Well in my case it came right back out through where I covered it.

 

[Reef4Fun]

sounds like way too much trouble when you can just get the real deal peppermint shrimp. I had all sorts of that stuff and the shrip took care of it all.

 

[mcox33]

agreed

Mom's kept coming back out the same hole.

 

[firefish2020]

Finding the "real deal" is the hard part, those guys are seasonal .
They seem to show up around Fall.